The Last Judgement – “What shall I do?” on the Representation of the Saints
Year mention: 1564
Subject:
Last Judgement ; Movement of the Figures ; Representation of the martyrdoms with attributes ; St Blaise ; St. Andrew ; St. Bartholomew ; St. Catherine ; St. Simon
Conflict:
Capriccio
Issues with attributes
Judging art
Untruthfulness/Not probable/Not corresponding to history
Criticism:

Inappropriate movement of the Saints;  The representation of the attributes of their martyrdom; Michelangelo decided to paint in favour of the “satisfaction of art” rather than “historical truth”

Agent:
Gilio, Giovanni Andrea
Niccolò della Casa, After Michelangelo Buonarroti, set of prints of the Last Judgement, 1548
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, www.metmuseum.org

In this passage, the characters again address the movement of figures, this time devoting themselves to the saints in the “Last Judgement”.

“M. Pulidoro said: ‘Earlier unsuitable movements of figures were discussed. Now look at the unseemly self-exposure of the Saints in front of Christ; see how inappropriate are the actions of Saint Bartholomew, Saint Lawrence, Saint Andrew, or Saint Simon for saints in the presence of the King of Glory. Does it not look as though they are watching bullfights from the front of a viewing stand, or indeed learning to act in a dumb show, since holding the cross behind him, as a saint does, seems so much effort? Do you believe that on the day Saint Peter will have to display his keys, Saint Bartholomew his skin, Saint Lawrence his gridiron, Saint Sebastian his arrows, Saint Blaise his comes, Saint Catherine wheel, and the other Saints the instruments of their martyrdoms? And in order to make people laugh more he has made Saint Catherine bend over in front of Saint Blaise with a rather indecent action. He, standing above her with his combs, seems to threaten her to stay still, while she, turning toward him, seems to ask: «What shall I do?» or something of the kind.
M. Ruggiero said: ‘This is one of those things that ought not to be allowed, or that something done to inspire dread and fear does not become the occasion of laughter and idol tales among the crowd; and to prevent what should be source of devotion from producing evil’.”

“Disse M. Pulidoro: ‘Dianzi fu ragionato degli sforzi improprii de le figure. Or mirate un poco quali sbracamenti fanno i santi avanti al Salvatore; guardate un poco che gesti sconvenevoli a’ beati inanzi al Re di gloria sono questi di San Bartolomeo, di San Lorenzo, di Sant’Andrea, o San Simone che sia. Non par che più tosto stieno a mirar le caccie de’ tori in punta di qualche palco, o vero questo santo? Credete voi che in quel giorno San Pietro abbia a mostrare le chiavi, San Bartolomeo la pelle, San Lorenzo la graticola, San Sebastiano le frezze, San Biagio i pettini, Santa Caterina la rota, et altri santi gli strumenti del martirio loro? E per meglio far le persone ridere, l’ha fatta chinare dinanzi a san Biagio con atto poco onesto; il quale, standoli sopra coi pettini, par che gli minacci che stia fissa, et ella si rivolta a lui in guisa che dica: «Che farai? », o simil cosa’.
Disse M. Ruggiero: ‘Or questa è una di quelle cose che ammettere non si doverebbe, acciò quello che è fatto per terrore et ispavento non ritorni in riso et in favola del vulgo, e quello che deve dare divozione dia occasione di male’.” 

Artist
Buonarroti, Michelangelo
Beatrizet, Nicolas
Bonasone, Giulio
Ghisi, Giorgio

Date mention
1564

Date artwork
1535-1541
Historical Location

Vatican City, Vatican Palace

Vatican City


Current Location
Vatican City, Vatican Palace
Vatican City
Iconclass Number
11H(BLAISE); 11H(BARTHOLOMEW); 11H(ANDREW);

Source
Gilio, Dialogue on the errors and abuses of painters (2018), 187; Gilio, Dialogo. Nel quale si ragiona degli errori e degli abusi de’pittori circa l’istorie. In: Due dialogi di M. Giouanni Andrea Gilio da Fabriano (1564), 80-81
Literature

Gilio 2018, 187, n. 313-316, fig. 19-22

Permanent Link
https://www.sacrima.eu/case/the-last-judgement-what-shall-i-do-on-the-representation-of-the-saints-2/